Boating is a popular activity enjoyed by people worldwide. When boating, whether for hunting or recreation, many people bring along their dogs. People often allow their dogs to enter the surrounding water from the boat, whether to go swimming or to retrieve wild game. After dogs enter the water from the boat, they can become extremely difficult to lift back into the boat. By attempting to lift the dog back into the boat, injuries may occur to both the person attempting to lift the dog back into the boat and to the dog itself.
To prevent injuries to dog owners and dogs alike, many dog ramps have been designed to freely allow dogs to enter boats from and exit boats to the surrounding water. Examples of these types of ramps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,570,029, 3,891,053, 4,538,314, 5,829,380, 6,119,809, and 6,722,307.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,029 entitled Combination Boat Seat And Gangplank, there is disclosed a ramp including a series of telescoping portions. The ramp further includes a pivotal mounting that allows the entire unit to be swung around a pivot point. When extended for use as a gang plank, the ramp is supported by the pivotal mounting attached to the top of the inner side of the boat and the gunwale of the boat. With no further support for the for the ramp when in the extended position, a great deal of strain may be placed on the pivotal mounting during use. Furthermore, the grade of the ramp may not be varied as needed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,053 entitled Dog Ladder For Boats, there is disclosed a dog ramp pivotally attached to the side of a boat. The top portion of the ramp includes a mounting portion allowing the ramp to be clamped onto the side of a boat. The ramp is adapted to extend into the water when mounted onto a boat. The mounting portion allows the ramp to be pivoted in a range of about 180°. The ramp may be turned so that it is substantially parallel with the boat so as not to impede forward movement of the boat. During use, the ramp is supported entirely by the mounting portion clamped to the rail of the boat. This may cause a great deal of strain on the mounting portion of the ramp. Furthermore, the mounting portion of the ramp does not allow the ramp to be raised into the boat while still attached to the rail of the boat. The ramp is also not vertically swingable which may create difficulty when attempting to climb onto the ramp in rough water.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,314 entitled Boarding Ramp, there is disclosed a removable and adjustable ramp for aiding an animal or human into a small boat from water in which the boat is floating. The ramp is removably mounted over the side of the boat by a pair of support arms having an upper hook portion which encompasses the top lip of the side of the boat. When mounted to the side of the boat, each support arm extends substantially vertically downwardly abutting the outer surface of the side of the boat. The upper portion of the ramp is connected to the top of the support arms and the lower portion of the ramp is connected to the lower portion of the support arms by braces. The boarding ramp includes a plurality of apertures for adjusting the ramp to a variety of angular positions. The boarding ramp, however, does not swing into the boat when connected to the side of the boat. To raise the boarding ramp into the boat, the entire unit must be removed from the side of the boat. The boarding ramp is also not vertically swingable which may cause difficulty when attempting to climb onto the ramp in rough water.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,380 entitled Boat Boarding System For Dogs, there is disclosed a pair of platform segments hingedly attached to one another, whereby the inner platform segment is secured to the drop ladder of the boat. The underside of the end of the second platform segment has a pair of flotation bags attached thereto. The ramp, however, may not be attached to the gunwale or deck of a boat whereby the ramp can be raised into the boat while still attached to the gunwale or deck. The ramp also does not have any support which may cause difficulty when attempting to climb onto the ramp in rough water.
While many ramps have been designed to allow dogs to enter and exit boats from the surrounding water, there is still a need for improvements in the manner in which the such ramps are raised, lowered, stored in the boat, and supported during use. The present invention overcomes a number of shortcomings in the prior art by including several features which make the boarding ramp useable in both calm and rough water conditions.